Common Council Votes Unanimously To Deny Beer License Application By Core’s Lounge

The Common Council met 07/19/2023. One of the items that was separated out for an individual vote was the Class B Beer License application for Core’s Lounge. Core’s Lounge had previously had an alcohol license which was revoked after they had accrued over 200 demerit points on their license. The application for a class B beer license had been recommended for denial by the Safety and Licensing Committee due to ongoing noise complaints from the surrounding neighborhood as well as the string of license violations accrued under their previous liquor license. Additionally, Core’s had been cited for serving alcohol one a couple of occasions even after their previous license had been revoked.

The Common Council voted unanimously to uphold the recommendation to deny the class B beer license for Core’s Lounge.

I’ve prepared a transcript of the discussion.

The Council did not spend very much time on this item. One member of the public addressed the Council about it. Amy, a resident of the neighborhood behind Core’s Lounge briefly noted that the residents of the nearby neighborhood as well as multiple city staff members and officials had spent a lot of time dealing with the issues related to Core’s Lounge. “The neighborhood and the city were placed in [a] situation—several situations, many situations—by Core’s Lounge that ran the gamut from unpleasant and uncooperative to unlawful and unsafe.” The neighborhood and the city followed the rules and proper procedures in dealing with Core’s Lounge, while Core’s Lounge had not followed the rules and, after a long string of citations, convictions, and demerit points, their license had been revoked but there continued to be infractions even after the revocation. “Please don’t issue them another liquor license. We would really ask you to deny it.”

Alderperson Chris Croatt (District 14), the Chair of the Safety and Licensing Committee, stated, “It did come from committee on a unanimous vote to deny. Personally, I didn’t see any reasons why we could, should, or would approve this license based on everything that has happened.”

Alderperson Vaya Jones (District 10), the alderperson for the district in which Core’s and the abutting neighborhood are located, spoke against approving the license. She pointed out that Core’s had been convicted of selling alcohol after their previous license had been revoked and that Municipal Code 9-52(10) specifically barred the city from issuing a license to an applicant who had been convicted of selling alcoholic beverages without the proper retail license within the last 18 months. Even if the Council wanted to, it would not be allowed to approve this license application.

Additionally, she pointed to Wisconsin State Statute 125.04(5)(b) which states “No license or permit related to alcohol beverages may […] be issued under this chapter to any person who has habitually been a law offender.” She said that, during the safety and Licensing Committee meeting, Police Lieutenant Nagel had advised the committee that he thought every single one of Core’s license violations were substantially related to the service of alcohol.

Finally, she drew attention to the fact that the applicant had falsely answered one of the questions on the application. In response to the question “Have you or a member of your organization ever been convicted of a misdemeanor or ordinance violation?”, he had answered “No” when the correct answer was “yes.”

There was no further discussion and the Council voted 14-0 to deny the Class B Beer license application by Core’s Lounge.

View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1099776&GUID=52265030-C06C-41DC-8C50-6300B98344E7